Texas State committed to contend for Sun Belt title

The Bobcats had to replace nearly half of their team.

Three seniors graduated and four underclassmen from last year’s roster transferred away from Texas State this offseason, leaving Danny Kaspar with 3,291 minutes and three starting spots to fill.

Through a combination of five transfers and two freshmen, Kaspar has retooled his squad without sacrificing the team’s identity. But to reach the historic 24-10 record the Bobcats posted last year again, he’ll need a smooth transition from both the newcomers and returners.

“Last year's seniors were a very confident bunch … And now we've got some guys who are knowing that, ‘Hey, I'm gonna get my shot,’” Kaspar said. “So we're all anxious to see how they're going to do.”

One of the (literally) biggest recruits Kaspar landed is junior forward Isaiah Small, who transferred from Seward County Community College. At 6-foot-8, 170 pounds, Small is one of the tallest and lightest players on the team and started at the power forward spot in Texas State’s exhibition against Cameron on Friday.

Kaspar said Small isn’t as gifted a shooter as former forward Alex Peacock and would like to see him be more aggressive on offense — though Small was second on the team in Friday’s scrimmage with 11 points. But the junior thrives in the gritty parts of the game, using his length and quickness to snatch steals and rebounds.

“He could be a tremendous defensive player because I haven't had a player with his physique,” Kaspar said before stretching his arms out. “But when he does this, I mean, it looks like a condor is spreading their wings. He just has real long, long legs. And you don't think he can get that pass or block that shot and he's able to do it.”

Former starting point guard Jaylen Shead transferred to Washington State in the offseason but the Bobcats should have solid options to take over at the position.

Marlin Davis started in 16 games during the 2017-18 season before going down with a season-ending knee injury. Texas State had a 10-7 record when he went down and finished the year 5-11 without him. Davis redshirted last season during his recovery and enters his junior season in a battle for minutes with sophomore guard Mason Harrell.

Harrell was Shead’s primary backup last season, averaging 3.9 points and 1.7 assists in 12.8 minutes per game. Kaspar said Harrell’s made major strides this summer, especially with his jump shot, and envisions awarding Davis or Harrell the starting job on a week-to-week basis based on how they practice.

“Marlin, with his experience and Mason's experience, I don't see how I can keep them off the floor,” Kaspar said. “Mason is just an amazing young man that — everything is, 'Yes sir, yes Coach.' He's out here all the time working. I have an affinity for short guys. At Stephen F. (Austin), that's pretty much all I had, was short guys, if you look at my teams. And, you know, I'm not afraid of them if they'll just play hard and play bigger than their size. And he does. So I see two players that I think we're going to need to win.”

The head coach doesn’t feel as confident in his shooting guards, though. Former guard Tre Nottingham played the second-most minutes and scored the second-most points last season, but there might not be a player this year who can handle that kind of work load.

Kaspar plans to address the position by committee. Caleb Asberry and DeShawn Davidson were both brought in as junior college transfers to soak up most of the minutes. However, Asberry’s missed most of the preseason with patella tendonitis and a sprained ankle, and Davidson’s struggled learning the team’s system thus far. Shelby Adams has been vying for minutes at the position and the junior was given the starting nod in Friday’s exhibition. Kaspar said Davis could also see time at the two-guard spot.

The rest of the Bobcats are fairly locked into what their roles will be. Senior Nijal Pearson was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team and could break multiple school records as the Bobcats’ starting small forward. Senior center Eric Terry could prove to be the team’s No. 2 option on offense with soft hands and good touch around the rim.

Redshirt sophomore center Alonzo Sule and junior forward Quentin Scott will return to their reserve roles this season, though both should receive a significant bump playing time. Kaspar said freshman wing Drew Tennial could make an immediate impact as well. Pearson said the bench should be deeper than it was last year.

“Last year we were more top-heavy,” Pearson said. “Our top five was really important to us. This year, our depth will be a big factor for us. Everybody will be able to contribute more than they did last year. And we're gonna need that.”

Texas State was voted fourth in the 2019 Sun Belt Coaches’ Poll with 110 points and one first-place vote. Kaspar expects to compete for a conference title again this season, though the players don’t want to get ahead of themselves.

For now, they want to take things day-by-day, beginning with the season opener against Texas Lutheran on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. inside Strahan Arena.

“Just improving, that's the goal to me,” Terry said. “Right now, we can't look ahead because I feel like we looked ahead last year and that's how they caught us. So I feel like just improving every day, it's gonna start with tomorrow and just moving on from there.”